WARNING: Grozny remains extremely dangerous and is emphatically NOT safe for tourists

Grozny (Russian: Гро́зный GROHZ-nyh) is the war-torn capital city of Chechnya. Since the end of the Second Chechen War, Grozny has undergone a renaissance in development and many abandoned or low-quality apartments and houses demolished and replaced with newer re-built apartment buildings and suburbs. Grozny was originally a Russian fort and named after Ivan the Terrible, as Grozny is Russian meaning "terrible" and Ivan the Terrible's Russian name is Ivan Grozny. Throughout 1994 and the early 2000s the city underwent chaos as Russian military battled Chechen rebels. As of today, Grozny is undergoing redevelopment but is extremely dangerous and the Russian Mafia is very active in the city.

Contents

Get in

Because of Grozny being highly devastated by years of war, transportation is often tricky and hard as much of Grozny's transportation system has been destroyed. However, since reconstruction began, it's possible to take a flight to the city or use a train, bus or the convenient highway system.

By plane

The only way to get to Grozny by air is by using the Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. The flights to Grozny are extremely guarded since the war and 9/11, so expect delays.

By train

A train leaves from Moscow to Grozny every 2 days. This train is heavily guarded, so expect a lot of delays and hassles.

By car

Grozny is connected to the rest of Russia by a large highway system. The P-308, P-307 and M-29 highways connect the city to other cities in Russia. Keep in mind that it's best to take a map with you, or else you can get lost.

By bus

Get around

See

The main attraction to Grozny is the Grozny Central Dome Mosque, which was recently completed and is the largest mosque in Europe.

Do

On weekends, you can go and watch some football (soccer) at the Sultan Bilimkhanov Stadium. FC Terek Grozny plays there in the Russian Premier League.

Buy

Because of the region's war's affect on the economy, many items in Grozny are cheap. Don't expect to find much Western essentials you can find in other parts of the country in many stores. Many authentic swords and daggers can be bought at low prices. There might be some flea markets, but you may usually find bootleg copies of well-known products.

Eat

Café Oasis is a reasonable place to eat in the capital Grozny. It will be difficult to find though. You might want to bring a guide.

Drink

There aren't many bars in the city, but there are many local vendors which sell beer. Common sense must be used when approaching alcohol, and beer can only be sold legally between 8:00 and 10:00 AM.

Sleep

Stay safe

Grozny is a extremely dangerous city to visit at the moment. Currently, there are many Chechen nationalists fighting in the area and it's said that the Russian Mafia have more members in the city than there are police. It's advised NOT to speak Chechen in the city as a foreigner speaking the language will attract a lot of attention. Nationalists do not take kindly to tourists, so sometimes you may want to wear a rag on your face to avoid attention. In general, it's advised to avoid traveling to Grozny at all times. If you really need to go there, take a lot of precaution.

Get out

Argun: Argun is a city that is just a few miles east of Grozny. Just take the highway if you want to visit Argun.